Patent Reference 1 discloses a refrigeration air conditioning system including a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger (also referred to as a condenser), a capillary tube, and an indoor heat exchanger (also referred to as an evaporator). The compressor, outdoor heat exchanger, capillary tube, and indoor heat exchanger are connected by piping that circulates a refrigerant. Therefore, the refrigeration air conditioning system is constituted as a closed system and the refrigerant circulates in this system while repeating gas-liquid phase transitions.
When the refrigeration air conditioning system operates as a refrigeration/air conditioning device, the indoor heat exchanger functions as an evaporator and the outdoor heat exchanger functions as a condenser. The situations of the changes in the refrigerant in this case will be explained. First, when the compressor operates, the refrigerant that is in the state of a low-temperature and low-pressure saturated vapor is condensed by the compressor and changes to a superheated vapor at high temperature and high pressure. Then, the refrigerant that is in the superheated vapor state performs a heat exchange with the surroundings of the system in the condenser and becomes a high-pressure liquid at normal temperature.
Next, the refrigerant that is in the state of a high-pressure liquid at normal temperature is expanded by the capillary tube and becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure wet vapor. Then, the refrigerant that is in the low-temperature and low-pressure wet vapor state performs a heat exchange with the surroundings of the system in the evaporator (indoor heat exchanger), absorbs the heat of the surroundings, and vaporizes completely to change to a saturated vapor. Due to the fact that the refrigerant circulates in the refrigeration air conditioning system while changing in this way, the air temperature in the room provided with the indoor heat exchanger (the evaporator) is lowered, while the heat that became high temperature and high pressure in the compressor is released outdoors, so that the air temperature outdoors provided with the outdoor heat exchanger (the condenser) rises.
Patent Reference 1 discloses a vacuum bubble removing device and the like that can remove vacuum bubbles in the refrigerant from it.
Patent Reference 2 discloses a device and the like that recombines the impurities that are present in a refrigerant or compound as a refrigerant composition. However, the device described in Patent Reference 2 is not a device that is used as a heat exchanger or part of a refrigeration air conditioning system (see paragraph 0077).